Here's my challenge and I would appreciate your advice.
I've been asked to cook for a charity BBQ party for ex-marines and their families. There will be approx. 130-150 people. Now I'm trying to figure out what would be the easiest and at the same time doable way to feed this number of people. I will be tailgating 100 miles away from my home. I have limited space on my trailer but still I think that my RK, 18 smoker, 2 or 3 22 and most probably one 26 will fit.
On the party day I need to serve the food at once. I will have more or less 24 hrs to cook it. What would be your advice in terms of menu?
Thnx in advance for all valuable inputs!
Pulled pork is going to be the easiest.
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if never cooked for more than 10, but id say keep it simple and do the basic bbq foods hamburgers and hotdogs, brats. the ranch could more than handle the burgers and dogs. maybe a few chickens. potatoes carrots asparagus and corn for the sides. should be quick and easy enough to pull off an abundance of food in a short time
That's what I thought but I will need some more variety.
You need some pro catering advice which I am not. @hawgheaven @rub and others?
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That's a lot of people to feed. Hopefully you will have a couple volunteers.
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Volunteers will be there 👍
Brats, pulled pork.
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Pulled pork and brats for sure
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Pulled pork for sure, what else?
I'd get about 100lbs of butts which will cook down to about 50lbs. That will yield meat for 150 1/3 lb sandwiches. Pork is affordable, easy, and holds well. I'd have hotdogs for the kids who don't eat pulled pork. Probably some pulled chicken for folks who won't eat pork. Your cooker situation will make it a bit of a challenge so get stuff done ahead of time and keep warm.
Another idea I just got is to grill boneless - skinless thighs and serve those. It's super easy if you have Grillgrates.
Ok here is Hoss from left field.
Pepper Stout Beef.
You have to dice onions and peppers but in the end all you do is blend. In the end with Pulled Pork you have to sort out the fatty bits....and I take forever to do this and at a certain point my hands start seize up on me.
Quote from: MrHoss on August 21, 2017, 01:19:06 PM
Ok here is Hoss from left field.
Pepper Stout Beef.
You have to dice onions and peppers but in the end all you do is blend. In the end with Pulled Pork you have to sort out the fatty bits....and I take forever to do this and at a certain point my hands start seize up on me.
Quick side note...if you are often having to process butts look into getting something like this, or make one. Attaches to your cordless drill and you're done in no time. You can literally pull 5 butts in under a minute. The fat blends in for the most part, improving yield helps keep the product moist.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/121509610855
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Quote from: MrHoss on August 21, 2017, 01:19:06 PM
Ok here is Hoss from left field.
Pepper Stout Beef.
You have to dice onions and peppers but in the end all you do is blend. In the end with Pulled Pork you have to sort out the fatty bits....and I take forever to do this and at a certain point my hands start seize up on me.
Sort "out" the fatty bits?
Blasphemy.
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I would suggest adding pulled beef to the menu. It is super easy to make using chuck roast.
Thank you for the ideas. So pulled pork will be a must. Thighs and simple hotdogs seem to me also good.
Quote from: Troy on August 21, 2017, 02:26:19 PM
Quote from: MrHoss on August 21, 2017, 01:19:06 PM
Ok here is Hoss from left field.
Pepper Stout Beef.
You have to dice onions and peppers but in the end all you do is blend. In the end with Pulled Pork you have to sort out the fatty bits....and I take forever to do this and at a certain point my hands start seize up on me.
Sort "out" the fatty bits?
Blasphemy.
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Not sure about the butts where you are but in these parts a whole butt takes me 5-10 minutes depending on meat temperature to clean. The hard narly bits and large fat deposits are disgusting dude. If I don't trim the outside on some there will be an entire flap on one side that needs to go.
I totally forgot about my spit. If I manage to take it with me, I still can make some hog roast (up to 70 lbs). Just like the one I made some time ago.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170822/4416c09f49ce5cc4b8b0bc8ec6ebd857.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170822/1270f629be1257895aa0dfacbb73ec31.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170822/131b3fa9b7ceddaefa83736899a04577.jpg)
Or, as somebody mentioned before, whole chickens. I just found the baskets fitting on my spit grill. 20-24 chickens are fitting in.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170822/428d03a6041bebe55076ed0c10c59593.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170822/6c4350b50fb53b3e27c582bb3ff7de1f.jpg)
Whole hog looks cool...but isn't the best way to cook a ton of pork. Your call though.
I like the chicken basket idea for the spit...
Whole chickens are cheap. Brine ahead of time and dry rub. You can feed a ton of people right there.
Pulled pork. Hot dogs for the kids. Both great ideas.
Get long rolls/buns so they can work for both pulled pork sandwiches and loaded dogs.
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Ive catered for years small and very large groups. The simplest thing that I think would be a hit and is for us would be porkloin sandwiches. Buy whole boneless porkloin and slice it. You can get 25 to 30 sandwiches out of one. You can season and or marinate them the night before. It only takes a few minutes to cook and you wont be rushed. I owned a bbq resstaurant for years. Pulled pork starts drying out as soon as it is pulled. You can cook alot of porkloin on 2 26s. Beans cooked on the weber would be a great combination.
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Quote from: bigssa on August 21, 2017, 02:37:02 PM
I would suggest adding pulled beef to the menu. It is super easy to make using chuck roast.
I was going to suggest that as well. Can't go wrong with pulled pork and pulled beef. Just make sure you have sauces to go with it... pork, I'd use a BBQ sauce and a vinegar sauce served on the side. Beef, I'd use a beef stock mixed with the natural juices from the beef.
Thnx guys👍
The funny thing to me is every party I have cooked for, the cheeseburgers get eaten the most. I swear I could cook lobster and filets and the cheeseburgers would get eaten first lol
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Got pretty the same experience😀
Maybe consider using the baskets to cook chicken quarters. They are easy, cheap, and you can serve them when done. Whole chickens have to be cut up.
Sausage, peppers and onions. Shouldn't be too hard to cook that off an hour or 2 beforehand and keep warm. Pretty hard to screw up.
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That's also a good idea!
All above are good ideas! I like the pulled pork, chicken thighs and dogs idea, sides coleslaw, potatoes salad, baked beans, broccoli salad, corn? Or what about some chili? As a side? Good luck send us some pics and let us know how you make out
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The party will be (hopefully) confirmed on Monday. If everything goes well, it will take place somewhere mid of September. Thnx for all inputs!
You might want to think about doing chicken wings. I recently did these for a large party and they were a hit. People love smoked wings. They are not that expensive and don't take long to cook. You can have the butcher split the wings or you can do it yourself. Or just serve up whole wings. I also did a pork shoulder and a few racks of ribs.
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Quote from: Travis on August 21, 2017, 12:06:18 PM
Brats, pulled pork.
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What he said
Beans and tater salad as sides are always a hit. And to keep your pulled pork/beef from drying out, keep the chafing dishes covered. Plus, I add a bit of water or apple juice now and then to the pan. Not a lot, just enough to keep it moist. Stir often. The pan cover is key.